Council to grill Mack's pick for Trenton's business administrator

TRENTON — Sam Hutchinson, Mayor Tony Mack’s pick to take over as the city’s next business administrator, can expect to face tough questioning from City Council tonight over his brief stint as business administrator-designate last year.

Hutchinson, one of two potential Mack cabinet members up for confirmation tonight, was unanimously confirmed by council in January 2011 but, after weeks of uncertainty, ended up not taking the job and withdrew his name from consideration in March.

Hutchinson will face questioning alongside Ralph Rivera Jr., a former Bergen County undersheriff and member of the New Jersey State Police who Mack has tapped to take over as police director.

Hutchinson has the right background, but his handling of the job offer last year has affected council’s willingness to believe in him.

“As far as being a business administrator, he’s more than qualified for the job … but he failed to show up,” Council President Kathy McBride said yesterday. “That makes me a little apprehensive and I have a few questions in reference to that.”

Similarly, Council Vice President Marge Caldwell-Wilson said Hutchinson’s employment history, or lack thereof, with the city was concerning but not necessarily a reason for rejecting him.

“I’m not saying he’s not qualified. I was very impressed with him the first time I met with him,” she said. “He was so indecisive and we didn’t know what was going on with him. That concerns me. I don’t know what’s changed with him now as opposed to what was going on then.

Hutchinson, a Maryland resident and former high ranking official with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, said last year that he’d been prepared to take the job in the weeks after winning council approval, but asked Mack to push back his start date.

Mack, Hutchinson said, never told council about the delay. That led to assumptions on the part of council members that Hutchinson was having second thoughts.

Hutchinson declined to speak to reporters when reached on his cell phone yesterday afternoon, but said he would be in attendance at tonight’s hearing. Mack could not be reached on his cell phone and did not return messages left at his office.

Tonight’s hearing will include representatives from the state Department of Community Affairs’ Division of Local Government Services. Under the terms of a $22 million aid award the city received this year, the department was given responsibility for soliciting and vetting candidates to fill a number of vacancies in Mack’s cabinet.

Hutchinson and Rivera are the first two candidates yielded through that process.